Universal joint



April) 0, 1935. c. E. SWENSON 1,999,487

UNIVERSAL JOINT Filed July 11, 1952 Watented Apr. 30, 1935 V 999,487

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE UNIVERSAL JOINT Carl E. Swenson, Rockford, 111., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Borg-Warner Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application July 11, 1932, Serial No. 621,798 3 Claims. (01. 64-102) This invention relates to an improved trunnion mediate transmission member I, often referred to type universal Joint. as the spider, the same providing four trunnions One object of my invention is to provide bearapart The t i s a e e e v d n h a ing blocks to be fastened to the yoke members ing blocks 9, each yoke being equipped with one 5 and to fit on the trunnions of the intermediate Pa Of these e s in di et ie y pp d 5 spider member, and yokes having shoulders marelatien- The y s 5 d 5 are ui y 0 chined thereon tangent to a circle of a predeternected to driving and driven members, th yo e mined radius with respect to the shaft cent r in this instance turning with a shaft I 0, and the for abutment by end thrust surfaces formed on the y k 6 w th a shaft h sp d 1 ay s v 10 blocks, the yokes also having lateral shoulders as alubricant reservoirin the usual way to supply 10 machined thereon parallel with the aforesaid lllhrieant the trunnion b a through ad al radius for abutment by surfaces formed on the holes provided in the trunnions and i a blocks, whereby to assume side thrust in the s h the v ir. transmission of torque from the one yoketo the The yokes 5 and 5 are preferably a e finoth r, The but t of th blocks t t ished on all surfaces so as to haveatrue dynamic 5 shoulders on the yoke members relieves the block balance- The Surfaces p d moo h fastening mean of l ad i id t to d th t seats for abutment by fiat faces It provided on and tor ue in th o e ti n of th universal t the backs of the blocks 9. The areas I 5 bounded Another object of my invention lies i o nby the seats l2-l3 on three sides are depressed str ti th j i t t it more economical so that the seats are narrow and very little ma- 2 production by n vel method f machining th chine work is required to provide smooth seats shoulders on the yoke members, consisting in for t e bl cks, as will app a e a e in the sinlultaneouslymillingporflons of flat; seats on the discussion of the method of manufacture. The yoke members in a plane at right angles to the yoke members have holes I6 bored therein to replanes of th h ul r and in simultaneously ceive bolts I! which thread in holes It provided 25 milling with two cutters, the end thrust shoulin the hearing blocks, whereby o amp the ders in one operation and the other shoulders in bleeks t0 the yoke members he h l 6 are another operation, both arms of the yoke being purposely made slightly r e than the diameter mn d in on etp, longitudinally for th of the bolts I! because they are not intended to side thrust shoulders, and transversely for the effect theloeation f the r ng l s ut s m- 30 end thrust shoulders. Thus, the end thrust shoully ac mm a t l s f r amp the ders are assured of proper spacing ith r s t t blocks to the yokes, the location of the blocks each other so that the proper clearance will be being accurately determined in another Way in provided betw e th nd f th tr i and accordance with the present invention, as will the end thrust bearing surfaces in the blocks, as- $0011 appear. s5

suming that the blocks are accurately made with The bearing blocks 9 ay be constructed to their external end thrust surfaces properly reprovide a Suitable Preferred ype of bearhat d t th inte l d th t bearing s f ings sofar as the present invention is concerned. Furthermore, the method makes for a c rate Thus I have shown anti-friction rollers l9 which 40 centering of the group of bearings with respect to make for easier and smoother operation than 40 the shafts and accordingly is a step toward more plain journal bearings, and, Consequently, o e

accurate dynamic balance, efficient power transmission and longer life. The invention is illustrated in the accompany- These rollers run on the side of the trunnions 8 ing drawing, in whichon the one hand, and on the other hand, have Figure 1 is a side view of a universal joint made bearing contact with the side wall 20 of the cy- 45 in accordance with my invention showing one of lindrical bearing recess provided in the blocks. the hearings in longitudinal section, and The rollers are suitably retained in the blocks so Fig. 2 is a face view of one of the yoke members that each block with its complement of rollers is with the bearing blocks removed therefrom, and a unit which may be removed and replaced with indicating in dotted lines the paths of the cutters. facility, for inspection, repair or replacement. 50

The same reference numerals are applied to Suitable packing means is provided on each bearcorresponding parts throughout the views. ing to seal the same against loss of lubricant or The universal joint illustrated, briefly stated, entry of dirt and water. Each bearing,'in addiconsists of a pair of yokes or terminal coupling tion to providing lateral bearing support for its members 5 and 6 connected by means of an intertrunnion, has a bearing surface 2! provided on 55 the end of the yoke member.

the inside of the end wall 22 thereof to assume end thrust.

In accordance with one phase of my invention, I provide shoulders 23 on the yokes s and 6 for engagement with end thrust surfaces 24 on the bearing blocks 9. The surfaces 24 are properly related to the end thrust bearing surfaces 2| so that the ends of the trunnions will have a predetermined clearance with respect to the surfaces 2| when the blocks are mounted on the yokes with the surfaces 24 in engagement with the shoulders 23. This arrangement manifestly relieves the block fastening means ll of any load incident to end thrust. The bolts H, in other words, simply clamp the blocks 9 to the yokes. The reason for making the bolt holes I6 in the yokes larger than the diameter of the bolts must now be apparent; it allows the bearing blocks to be shifted slightly with respect to the yokes to bring the surfaces 24 into tight engagement with the shoulders 23. Also in accordance with this phase of my invention, I provide lateral shoulders 25 on the yokes 5 and 6 for engagement with side thrust surfaces 26 on the bearing blocks 9. It is evident from inspection of Figure 1 that the shoulders 25 have engagement with the surfaces 26 up to a plane running through the centers of the trunnions, so that the blocks 9 are solidly supported and there is no perceptible cantilver action to affect the fastening of the blocks to the yoke members. In other words, the torque load is in no way imposed upon the bolts but is assumed entirely by the metal to metal contact described between the blocks themselves and the yoke members. The fact that the bolt holes l6 are larger in diameter than the bolts l1 avoids any interference with the blocks being disposed with the surfaces 26 in snug engagement with the shoulders 25.

The other phase of my invention has to do with the novel method of manufacture to make I for speedier production and consequently lower cost, and at the same time make for accurate centering of the group of bearings with respect to the shafts l and II for more accurate dynamic balance, as well as to insure proper clearance between the ends of the trunnions 8 and the end thrust bearing surfaces 2|. In carrying out this method it will be observed in Fig. 2 that the end thrust shoulders 23 are provided on a pair of diametrically opposed lugs or jaw portions 21 formed on the two arms of the yoke member, and that these lugs are narrower than the dimension between the side thrust shoulders 25,,which are formed on two pairs of lugs or jaw portions 28 formed on the sides of the two arms of the yoke member. That is to say, the dimension a is sufficiently smaller than the dimension b so that the seats l3 and shoulders 25 may be machined by a pair of narrow milling cutters fed past the sides of the lugs 21 lengthwise of In a similar manner the dimension 0, measured from the outer side of one lug 28 to the outer side of the diametrically opposite lug 28, is sufficiently smaller than the dimension d, measured from one end thrust shoulder 23 to the diametrically opposite shoulder 23, so that a pair of narrow milling cutters may be fed past the sides of the lugs 28 to simultaneously mill the seats l2 and end thrust shoulders 23. In other words, only two milling operations are required to machine the seats |2-|3 and the shoulders 23 and 25. The shoulders 23 are, of course, at the same distance from the shaft center and both are tangent to 9." circle having a radius measured fromthe shaft center out to the shoulders. Consequently, assuming that the bearing blocks 9 are accurately made, the bearings will be accurately centered as a group with respect to the shafts l0 and II when they are mounted on the yoke members 5 and 6 with their end thrust surfaces 24 in abutment with the shoulders 23. Then, too, assuming that the end thrust bearing surfaces 2| in the blocks 9 have been produced in proper relation to the end thrust surfaces 24, with due regard to the dimension e measured from the end of one trunnion 8 to the end of the diametrically opposite trunnion, the proper clearance will be provided between the ends of the trunnions and the end thrust bearing surfaces cooperating therewith,

whereby to have smooth and quiet operation and.

minimum wear. In line with the disclosure in my copending application, Serial No. 615,496 filed June 6, 1932, the blocks 9' may have their surfaces 24 produced thereon in proper relation to the end thrust bearing surfaces 2| by mounting the blocks on a fixture similar to the spider l but having posts large enough to fit snugly in the cylindrical bearing recess 20, the fixture being simply indexed for one operation after an-- other. If this fixture has the posts from one to five thousandths longer than the trunnions 8, according to the clearance which it is ultimately desired to secure between the ends of the trunnions 8 and the surfaces 2 I, it will be evident that when the blocks 9 are subsequently assembled on the yoke members, the proper clearance will be provided at the ends of the trunnions when the surfaces 24 on the blocks are in engagement with the shoulders 23. However, there are any number of practical methods of producing the surfaces 24 exactly in a predetermined relation to the surfaces 2| to insure the desired clearance at the point referred to.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a clear understanding of all of the objects and advantages of my invention. The appended claims have been drawn so as to cover all legitimate modifications and. adaptations.

I claim: 1. A universal joint comprising driving an driven yoke members, an intermediate spider member having trunnions, cup-shaped bearing blocks for said trunnions having end walls engaging the ends of said trunnions to assume end thrust and having fiat faces arranged for abutment with fiat seats provided on the yoke members where the blocks are arranged to be detachably secured to said yoke members, jaw portions on the yoke members projecting on opposite sides of said seats to have abutment with the opposite sides of the bearing blocks to assume side thrust in operation, other projecting portions .on the yoke members in transverse relation to said jaw portions at the outer ends of said seats for abutment with surfaces provided on said blocks to assume end thrust in operation, and means for fastening the bearing blocks to said yoke members, said jaw portions extending out from the yoke members approximately to a plane passing through the centers of the trunnions of the spider member, whereby to eliminate cantilever action of the bearing blocks and accordingly relieve the bearing fastening means of load.

2. A universal joint comprising driving and driven yoke members, an intermediate spider member having trunnions, bearing blocks for said trumiions having flat faces arranged for abutment with fiat seats provided on the yoke members where the blocks are arranged to be detachably secured to said yoke members, projections on the yoke members on three sides of the flat seats provided thereon to have engagement with the bearing blocks to prevent movement thereof in three directions, namely, with the outer end of the bearing blocks to prevent endwise movement outwardly from the center of the yoke members and with opposite sides of the bearing blocks to prevent sidewise movement relative to the yoke members in either direction in the planes of rotation of the yoke members, the two side thrust projections being disposed with respect to the end thrust projection with the adjacent ends thereof spaced from one another so that the inner surface of any one of said projections and a portion of the seat adjacent thereto may be machined with a cutter fed lengthwise of said projection and past the end of a neighboring projection, and means for fastening the bearing blocks to the yoke members.

3. A universal joint as set forth in claim 2 wherein the yoke members are provided with depressed areas between the projections bounded by narrow seat portions next to the projections, whereby to minimize machining and enable complete machining of the seats in single passes of a cutter fed lengthwise of the inside surfaces of said projections.

CARL E. SWENSON. 

